Don Normans UserCentered Design Applied to teaching Final

Don Norman’s User-Centered Design Applied to teaching Final Cut Pro for Digital Video Editing Kent Golden

What is User Centered Design? User-centered design is the process in which the needs, wants, and limitations of the end user are given priority during the phases of design. Don Norman’s guidelines suggest optimizing the user interface and experiences, based on how people are able, and want to work, instead of forcing them to adapt and change themselves to work better with the system as designed.

“Darn these hooves! I hit the wrong switch again! Who designs these instrument panels, raccoons? ”

“The Fuel Light’s on, Frank! We’re all going to die!. . . Wait, wait…Oh, my mistake – that’s the intercom light. ”

Human Factors: Is the elevator stuck or is the reactor about to melt-down?

Affordances: Door Quiz Say out loud what action you should use to open the door: Push n Pull n

Do These help solve the problem?

Norman’s “Seven Principles for Transforming Difficult Tasks into Simple Ones” (Norman 1988): Use both knowledge in the world and knowledge in the head. Simplify the structure of tasks. Make things visible: bridge the gulfs of Execution and Evaluation. Get the mappings right. Exploit the power of constraints, both natural and artificial. Design for error. When all else fails, standardize.

Apple’s Final Cut Pro Digital Video editing program Expensive ($1, 299) Difficult to use (manuals) The standard (especially in Apple circles) n n Education Art Very useful once you are familiar with it

Target Population College undergraduates attending Yale University No prior experience with FCP, but some with graphics programs Workshops at the Yale Digital Media Center for the Arts (DMCA) Many art students (especially those in the fields of Sculpture and Photography) have a need to learn Final Cut Pro to: n n Record and showcase other art projects Create a video project as a direct expression of art

Instructional Tasks Encode digital video from a video deck to a Mac workstation Edit the video: n n Add titles Video transitions Music Video effects Export the video to a Quick. Time file that can be burned to a DVD.

Applying Theory to Instruction Norman’s 7 User Centered Design principles applied to FCP instruction.

Use both knowledge in the world and knowledge in the head. “Knowledge in the World” refers to information that exists in the world that we don’t need to memorize to utilize. n n n Don’t need to be able to recall every distinctive feature of a penny to be able to identify one and use it. Loose keyboard letters to professional typists. They were not able to arrange them in the proper configuration. Scaffolding from the world “Knowledge in the Head” refers to memorization n Info-processing theory STM / LTM / Attention (all limited) Phone tech support with no visual Utilize what KITH they do have – analogies, Photoshop layers After workshop, info usually gone. Provide portable “Knowledge in the World” n n n Custom Handouts (screen shots, digital photos) Keyboard shortcuts at top Focus on project, notes.

Simplify the structure of tasks. Make tasks simple in structure Minimize problem solving or planning required to execute tasks. Pay close attention to the psychology and limits of the end-user n n n Short-term memory Long-term memory Attention Applied to FCP workshops n n n Set specific project for all to work on Limit scope of workshop Make it entertaining and relevant to students (Attention)

Make things visible: bridge the gulfs of Execution and Evaluation. Things should be visible so that people know what is possible and how to do them. People should know what is currently going on and what to do next. FCP shortcomings n n n Encoding video – How find? Name? Transcoding audio Help – need to know what you don’t know To overcome: n n Provide overall flow needed to accomplish end goal Provide specific steps on how to do something Class follows flow so that students know what is currently going on (with instruction) and what is next.

Get the mappings right. make sure that the user can determine the relationships: n n Between intentions and possible actions Between actions and their effects on the system Between actual system state and what is perceivable by sight, sound, or feel Between the perceived system state and the needs, intentions, and expectations of the user. FCP problems: n n Hidden commands Error messages Unrendered effects Media Limit on V 1 To overcome: n n Point out common problems in instruction and handouts Point students to online webboards

Exploit the power of constraints, both natural and artificial. “Use constraints so that the user feels as if there is only one possible thing to do – the right thing of course” - Don Norman Lego motorcycle policeman FCP problems n n Thousands of actions possible No work flow guidance To overcome: n n Create constraints Create guidelines

Design for error “Assume that any error that can be made will be made. Plan for it. Think of each action by the user as an attempt to step in the right direction; an error is simply an action that is incompletely or improperly specified” – Don Norman Error Messages n n n Do not help determine what went wrong Do not help to fix problem Do not help avoid in the future FCP Example: Linking of Audio and Video n n n Very common No error message Audio/Video out of sync To overcome: n n Assume it will happen Warn of danger Show to fix if it happens When covering CD audio – reiterate Error when reading handouts n n carefully word certain things – location of buttons, show pictures with arrows catch errors with iterative design trials

When all else fails, standardize Standardization is a way to deal with things that cannot be designed without arbitrary mappings. n n n Keyboard layouts Traffic signals Units of measurement Useful as long as everyone uses the same system FCP Problem: n Setting paths for FCP files To overcome: n n Pick a standard – desktop “My FCP Project” Across students and time – same file location Related: Set all Macs to same file system view

Assessment Content knowledge vs. user experience Observe behaviors: n n n Do people stare blankly at handouts? Complete sample project? Able to work on their own after workshops? Feedback forms Iterative design – use feedback to improve future instruction.

Critics Don Norman’s newer book, “Emotional Design”, reflects on his own overly reductive approach in POET, when more than just utility needs to be considered. Example: Standard vs. Automatic transmission Constructivists: n n n Complexity vs. Simplifying the structure of tasks Encouraging problem solving vs. Reducing it Can’t have Jasper Woodbury in every situation Edward Tufte

Edward Tufte

My own thoughts All had frustrating experiences with bad design, especially with technology n n n Audio/Video systems Websites – is that a button? Authoring programs Tech support Error messages UCD offers solid guidelines for good design Feedback forms about handouts

For more information: www. jnd. org Questions?